SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I928 



117 



great variety of important timber trees. The number of palm species 

 in the undergrowth is surprisingly large, the most abundant and 

 conspicuous being the familiar cohune or corozo (Attalca coJiunc), 

 with which are associated Chamaedoreas, a jNIalortiea, Geonomas, and 

 man\' others. From one of the common palms, formidably armed with 

 long, stout, flattened spines, and known locally as laiiccfilla, the valley 

 and station derive their name. 



The hills which confine the valley rise to a height of 2,000 feet, 

 thus affording a variety of plant life seldom found so near the coast. 



Fig. 102. — View across the grounds of Lancetilla Experiment Station. The 

 hills rise to 2,000 feet, and are covered with virgin forest. 



The large trees on the very humid hilltops, above the corozo forests, 

 are loaded with a luxuriant growth of epiphytic plants, among which 

 ferns, orchids, bromeliads, aroids, and mosses predominate. 



An interesting sight at Lancetilla is the serpentarium of the 

 Antivenin Institute of America, where are kept large numbers of 

 poisonous snakes. From the vicious l)arba amarilla and the giant 

 Honduran rattlesnake, venom is extracted from which is prepared a 

 serum for use in treating persons bitten by these serpents. This is 

 the onlv establishment of its kind north of Brazil. 



